Biased Info: Only 1 in 6 of Internet search engine users can tell the difference between unbiased search results and paid advertisements, a new survey finds. The Pew Internet and American Life Project reports only 38% of Web searchers even know of the distinction, and of those, only 47% say they can always tell which are paid. That comes out to only 18% of all Web searchers knowing when a link is paid. 45% of searchers say they would stop using search engines if they thought they weren’t being clear about such payments, yet 92% say they are confident about their searching abilities. (USA Today 1/24/05)
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